Research

Below we provide links to some of the research that has played a particularly important role in informing TLPI’s work.

ACE Study

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study was conducted by the Kaiser Permanente health plan in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 17,000 adults completed a questionnaire that asked questions about seven categories of adverse experience in childhood: psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; witnessing violence against a mother; and household dysfunction, including living with household members who were substance abusers, mentally ill or suicidal, or who had been imprisoned. More than half of those who responded reported at least one adverse childhood experience and one-fourth of those who responded reported two or more adverse childhood experiences. The study found a strong relationship “between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults.” The study has produced numerous publications in scientific journals; linked below are two that have particularly influenced our work.